AMES Therapy

08/26/2026

Who taught you that you don’t matter?

Sometimes the belief that we don’t matter didn’t begin with us.

It may have been shaped by the parent who couldn’t see us, the relationship where our needs were dismissed, the experience where we had to stay small to feel safe, or the years we spent putting everyone else first.

Eventually, someone else’s inability to value us can become our own inner voice.

But that voice isn’t the truth.

You matter—even when you’re not productive.
You matter—even when you need help.
You matter—even when someone is disappointed in you.
You matter without having to earn your place.

So when that old belief shows up, pause and ask yourself:

“Who taught me that I don’t matter?”

And then ask:

“Is that still a belief I want to carry?”

Healing isn’t just learning to cope with what happened to us.
Sometimes it’s learning to see ourselves differently.

You matter. ❤️

MentalHealth TraumaTherapy YouMatter

08/25/2026

EMDR Therapy for Medical Trauma & PTSD in Ontario

Have you experienced medical trauma, an injury, surgery, hospitalization, or a difficult medical experience that continues to affect you?

At Ames Therapy, I provide EMDR therapy and trauma-informed counselling for PTSD and medical trauma. EMDR can help process traumatic memories, reduce anxiety and stress responses, and support your nervous system in feeling safer in your body.

If your body has healed but you still feel the effects of what happened, trauma therapy can help.

📍 Serving clients across Ontario | In-person & virtual therapy
🌿 Ames Therapy

07/29/2026

There are seasons in life when pulling back is necessary.

But there’s a difference between insulating yourself and isolating yourself.

🍃 Insulating is creating a safe space to rest, heal, and protect your nervous system. It might look like saying no to things that drain you, limiting overwhelming demands, spending time in nature, or leaning into the people who make you feel safe.

🌧️ Isolating is when the walls become so high that no one can reach you. You stop answering texts, avoid the people who care, and carry the weight of your struggles alone.

Healing rarely happens in complete isolation. Our nervous systems are wired for connection. We don’t need a crowd—we need safe people, small moments of connection, and permission to rest without disappearing.

If you’re going through a difficult season, ask yourself:
Am I protecting my peace, or am I protecting my pain?

Choose insulation, not isolation. Rest, recover, and reconnect at your own pace. You don’t have to carry it all alone.

07/13/2026

Healing doesn’t ask us to return to who we were—it invites us to become a newer version of ourselves. Post-traumatic growth isn’t forgetting what happened; it’s discovering the strength, purpose, and joy that can emerge because we kept going. Last week at the Transplant Games, I witnessed that kind of growth everywhere I looked. Hearts healed, lives celebrated, friendships strengthened, and hope carried forward together. 💚

I was deeply honoured to receive the Coup de Coeur Award, presented by the President of the Canadian Transplant Association and the local Games Manager. This recognition for kindness, dedication, commitment, and community spirit is one I will truly cherish.

What makes this recognition even more meaningful is knowing that I was only able to experience such a beautiful week because my dear friend Kelly is alive thanks to the gift of organ donation. Watching her also be recognized with the Gloria Sentini Award for her years of dedication, organization, and unwavering support of this year’s Games—and so many before—was one of the highlights of the week. It was a reminder that behind every transplant is a ripple effect that reaches far beyond one life.

To every donor, donor family, recipient, caregiver, volunteer, and supporter: thank you for reminding me that healing grows in community, kindness, and hope. This week will stay with me for a very long time. 💚

Canadian Transplant Association Canadian Transplant Association - Ontario Division

05/30/2026

Talk therapy can be incredibly helpful for understanding experiences. But trauma doesn’t just live in thoughts—it lives in the nervous system. This is why psychologically healing from medical trauma has to address the BODY.

Have you ever said to yourself:
“I know I’m safe… but I don’t FEEL safe.”

Healing requires more than insight. It requires experience. Approaches that support this include:
Somatic therapy
EMDR
Nervous system regulation
Safe relational connection

These approaches help the body process what hasn’t been completed.
Healing is not about forcing the body to move on. It is about helping the body feel safe enough to update.

05/25/2026

One of the most important shifts in trauma work is this:

Symptoms are not the problem.

They are protection.

Anxiety says: stay alert. Panic says: something is wrong. Sleep disruption says, "Don’t fully relax". These responses were helpful during a crisis. They increased survival. The challenge is that they haven’t updated.

Instead of asking:

“What’s wrong with me?”

A more helpful question is:

“What did my body learn?”

Your body is not broken.

It adapted.

05/02/2026

www.amestherapy.ca/post/why-the-body-doesn-t-just-move-on-after-medical-trauma

After a major medical experience, many people expect that once treatment is over, they will feel better—not just physically, but emotionally.But for many, that’s not what happens.Even after recovery, the body can still feel on edge. Anxiety, sleep disruption, and a constant sense of waiting for ...

04/23/2026

Hello wonderful humans!

Today is a gentle reminder that healing doesn’t always happen inside four walls. 🌿

If you know me, you know that Mother Nature and I have a connection. It’s a beautiful understanding of how supported I am by this earth. In so many ways nature has healed me and so many others.

The Earth holds, regulates, and restores in ways that our nervous systems deeply recognize—often before our minds can make sense of it. When we slow down, step outside, and reconnect with the natural world, we’re not escaping… we’re returning.

Returning to rhythm.
Returning to breath.
Returning to ourselves.

Nature doesn’t rush. It doesn’t judge. It simply allows space for things to be exactly as they are—and in that space, healing begins.

On this Earth Day, I invite you to find or hope you’ve already taken a few moments to step outside, feel the ground beneath you, notice the air, and let your system settle. Personally, my gratitude overflowed today as I appreciated sparkling water, rustling leaves, a beautiful blue sky and solid, steady ground. Such beauty all around us.

You are part of this Earth.
And just like it—you are allowed to take up space, to rest, and to grow. I hope you found a little connection today. 🌎

🌱

04/21/2026

Free Organ Transplant Mental Health Series

I've compiled the 5 webinars focused on the mental health side of the transplant journey and posted them on my website. These sessions explore the emotional realities that often go unspoken—grief, trauma, anxiety, identity shifts, managing chronic illness and other mental health complexities that arise.

These recordings are available to watch at your own pace and are designed for:

• Transplant recipients
• Individuals waiting for a transplant
• Family members and caregivers

They might also be relevant if you have experienced long-term medical trauma or chronic illness.

You can access all 5 webinar recordings here:

www.amestherapy.ca/organtransplantsupport

They are also available on the Canadian Transplant Association (Ontario) YouTube channel.

Feel free to share this with anyone who might benefit. 🤍

04/20/2026

Your nervous system responds to your environment.

Nature offers cues of safety that the body recognizes automatically:
• Rhythmic sounds (water, wind)
• Organic movement (trees, leaves)
• Open space and fresh air

These signals can help shift the nervous system out of survival mode.

In Walk & Talk Therapy, we intentionally use nature as part of the therapeutic process — not just a backdrop.

This supports:
• Reduced anxiety
• Increased regulation
• Easier emotional processing

Healing isn’t just cognitive.
It’s physiological.

Now booking at www.amestherapy.ca